pieces of the game/Javan-
This topic occasionally pops up on net54, and there are 2 common camps.
The first camp is populated by those who try to "extend the net" of PED use
to encompass almost the entirety of the sport, the 2nd camp tends to pump
the brakes on the "everybody does it and has for years, so it's okay" crowd.
I am in the second camp, so I'll be drawn and quartered very shortly
...
The article about Galvin is interesting, it reads almost as humorous. The
reality is that we have no idea if ole Pud decided that one dose of animal
testicular fluid was enough, and decided not to do so again. We also can
imagine that the shot of testicular fluid wasn't the reason he threw a good
game the very next day(!), and we know for sure no one can prove it. In
2023, however, the science has very much evolved and we do indeed know
the tangible benefits of PED use. We also know that a number of modern
players engaged in elaborate efforts to use PEDs and to mask their
usage, sometimes in pursuit of treasured MLB records. We can also see the
physical results of these abuses- all we need do is look at the before/after
photos of Sosa, Bonds, etc... I am thinking of a guy who kipes his
neighbor's newspaper off the lawn (when there were papers), versus the guy
who mugs the delivery person after the round and takes all their profit.
Sure, both people did something wrong, but one guy went way off the
reservation- they are NOT the same thing, and equating them is unwise.
My response is lengthy already, so I'll remark that recent cunning and
planning involved is exponentially greater than that of someone like Galvin,
and was deliberately undertaken with prior knowledge of likely benefits.
These abuses definitely constitute an "era" of the game's existence.
I'll note that the folks who are indignant about this topic often come from
the "everybody does it" crowd. JustinD above tells us he doesn't care, while
using words like "self-righteous" and phrases about "tarnish(ing) the silver
claret". Seems he very, very much cares...
I'll conclude by saying I don't "refuse to believe" my favorite players use
PEDs. I'm a big Roberto fan, also Rod Carew, Koufax, Gibson- I feel pretty
confident they were who we thought they were. I like Hank Aaron too, and
no one can possibly prove his "greenie" use- such as it was- produced
tangible statistical results. I don't think these players were "perfect" either,
and can't recall claiming any of them were. I know I respect them a heck of
a lot more than some of the names mentioned in the thread, though.
Trent King